Perfectly Imperfect

Cuarenta y nueve: Little Devil

"MmOoOOomMmYyYY! Come look ath my san cassullll!!"

Joey's mom's head slowly turned to us with an evil grin after hearing her son screech for her from the backyard.

Uh oh.

"Austin, hunny! Joey and his friends are going to play with you while mommy goes and gets her nails done," she grinned, then made a b-line for the front door. "Make sure your sisters stay out of trouble! And Lexi will be coming home from her friend's house at 4" She yelled to Joey as she disappeared out the door.

Oh boy.

"JOEYYYY AND HIS FWENSSSS! COME LOOK ATH MY SAN CASSUL!" Joey's little brother — who I now know is named Austin — hollered.

"Dang!" I covered my ears with my hands. "That kid's got a pair of lungs on him!"

"What is he even saying? I don't speak baby," Corey's eyebrows drew together in confusion and annoyance.

If he's already annoyed, he's in for a looonnngg day.

Sam rolled her eyes, "he's obviously talking about a sand castle. Doesn't take a genius to figure out." She paused, then a frown grew on her face. "You have a little sister, how do you not know babynese," she shook her head.

"I do have a little sister. A thirteen year old one that hasn't spoken that way in ten years," he shot back. "How would you know what he's saying anyway? You're an only child."

Sam narrowed her eyes at him. "Like I was saying, it doesn't take a genius to figure out san cassul means sand castle," she rolled her eyes like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Joauyyy! Cfomle fee mu semb cathtle!!!!!" Another screech came.

My eyes widened. "What the heck?"

Sam looked around with a surprised face. "Okay, now what the heck is he saying?"

Joey sighed and ran a hand over his face. "Yeah, when he gets upset or excited or anything really, his words get even more jumbled up."

Oh.

"Either that or he's in the middle of cramming sand into his mouth."

Oh.

"JOEAUYYY!!!"

Another long, drawn out sigh. "Guess we should probably go now. . ."

We all nodded in agreement.

Nobody moved from their spot.

We all stared silently at nothing. Waiting for the other to move.

Corey was the first to do that.

Towards the front door.

"Haha, well, this was fun and all but —"

"Oh no you don't!" Joey jumped up and ran after him.

"Leave me be!" Corey yelled, sprinting towards escape.

But he was tackled to the ground before he could reach the handle.

He spun around and instead of finding who he thought he would on top of him, he found a small, black eyeliner wearing, people hating, Sam straddling him. You could tell by the shock in his face he was not expecting this.

"Nuh uh," she looked at him intensely, jabbing her index finger in his face. "If I have to go through this, I'm dragging you with me!"

"No!" He protested.